Failed Attempt
by AnimeFan202
Summary: I found it a little strange that not one person would realize that there was more to Tom Riddle, so I came up with a short story about someone actually trying to help. R&R Please!


**Failed Attempt**

There was a knock on the headmaster's door. "Enter," called Professor Armando Dippet, the current headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Horace Slughorn, the Potions Master entered the office timidly. Like he wasn't sure he wanted to be there.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Headmaster," he said apologetically. He closed the door, hesitated, and then seemed to gather his courage, something that didn't happen easily to a Slytherin. He may be a Professor these days, but Horace Slughorn's heart was still with his old house, which he happened to be head of. He quickly strode up to Professor Dippet's desk.

Dippet was doing paperwork at the moment, the exams had ended and he had a lot of looking over to do. Though he didn't have to grade the actual exams, as Headmaster to Hogwarts Professor Dippet kept track of how many O.W.L.s or N.E.W.T.s his elder students received.

The Potion Master's eyes came to rest on the one Dippet was currently looking over. At the top of the statistics paper was a name. _Tom Marvolo Riddle. _Dippet noticed where the head of Slytherin's house's eyesight lay. He couldn't help a small smile from forming.

"Tom Riddle," He said quietly. "A strange boy... but alas, he's a truly brilliant student. Pity his parents didn't live to see his accomplishments."

Slughorn fidgeted, clearly uncomfortable. "Yes, well... I came here to discuss him, Sir."

Dippet's smile turned into a puzzled gaze. "What is on your mind, Horace?"

"Headmaster... Tom Riddle came to, er, he came to ask me something shortly before exams started and I haven't been able to get it out of my thoughts ever since."

"What about?" Dippet questioned calmly.

Slughorn was silent for a moment. Finally he choked out, "Horcruxes."

Armando Dippet stared at him blankly for a few seconds. "Horcruxes?" He repeated, immensely confused. "Whatever for?"

"I-I'm unsure about that myself. He just... Tom Riddle has always been a... a strange fellow. He seems very interested in the Dark Arts and, Sir... well to be honest I'm a tad bit worried for his future. He's always been a top-notch student and it... it would be a shame for him to go astray."

"Astray," Dippet repeated faintly. Was his potions master suggesting that their best student in quite a few years could be a danger to society?

"Did you... explain to him? About the Horcruxes, I mean."

"Y-Yes." Slughorn hung his head in shame. This part of the conversation was clearly what he'd wanted to avoid.

"Very well. Could you tell him that he has been summoned to my office. I would like to speak with Riddle himself."

Slughorn nodded and was off.

Riddle was found in the Slytherin common room. He was the only one there. The other students were, no doubt, outside enjoying the good weather with their friends before having to part for the summer.

He looked up from the book in his lap when Horace entered. "Hello, Professor."

"Good afternoon, Tom. I've been to speak with the headmaster. He would like a word with you." Riddle nodded and followed his Professor to Professor Dippet's office. Horace left.

"Sit down, Tom." Dippet seemed pleasant enough and Riddle did as he was told.

"How are things going, Tom?"

"Very well. It's a lot calmer now the exams have ended."

"Yes. You have extraordinary marks on all of your tests, Mr. Riddle."

Riddle nodded. So that was what this was about. He'd been called in before to discuss how high his marks were. But usually by his teachers. Never by the Headmaster himself.

"How are things at the orphanage, Tom?"

He tensed up immediately but did everything within his power not to show it. Where had this come from? "Fine," he answered stiffly.

Professor Dippet looked about as comfortable as Tom felt. "Mr. Riddle..." he said slowly. He took a deep breath and started again. "Tom, I had an interesting conversation with one of your teachers not long ago."

"Oh? About what?"

"Tom, I know this school isn't to well equipped with... counselors, but..."

He was silenced by the look Tom gave him. It was a dark look, one never before seen by the model pupil. "You think," he said in a low, dangerous voice, "that I need to see a _shrink_?"

Armando Dippet gulped. "All... What I'm saying is that maybe it might help to talk to someone... Seeing as you don't have parents or any close family..."

It was never confirmed whether Tom had reluctantly agreed or whether he was dragged, but soon enough he found himself inside the mental unit at St. Mungo's.

The nurses and attendants were quite worried about him actually. Tom was always polite and he seemed perfectly sane. But when he was left alone at night they could hear him chuckling and smirking to himself.

Riddle considered them all to be absolute fools. Did they really believe he hadn't already started recruiting? Sure, they had nothing big planned yet, but sure enough, help was on the way.

And this came true when about a week later half the staff on the ward came running at his attendant's scream. They found her dead not seconds later, and Tom Marvolo Riddle was gone.

**Sorry, I just found it a bit stupid that not one single person could realize that there was more to Tom Riddle than the perfect student. How did I do?**


End file.
